Case study: Burkina Faso

• Burkina Faso remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Nearly half of the population live below the national poverty line. In addition, chronic malnutrition affects 42% children in rural areas
• The vulnerability of poor people in Burkina Faso has increased in recent years due to the difficult climate for growing food. The country suffers from frequent locust outbreaks, droughts as well as severe flooding
• The difficult climate for growing food in the Sahel means it has been particularly affected by increases in food prices and there is an even greater demand for the limited supply.

How Christian Aid is helping:

This project will improve the lives of thousands of people in Burkina Faso by enabling them to both grow their own crops and manage their land more effectively. Through the creation of market gardens, the sand dunes will produce more crops and will be better protected against future floods, droughts or locust infestations.

Poultry farming will ensure sustainability because families will have an income and therefore will be better equipped to cope in times of food insecurity and increased food prices. Locally elected representatives will manage 15 cereal warehouses which will create community ownership of the project, further ensuring its sustainability.

Project Aims:

• Communities to become more self-sufficient and better nourished, as a result of growing their own food in their own environment
• Communities will be trained and equipped on how to adapt dunes to become more fertile in order to increase crops yields and protect the land, so that food production can increase in the region
• Communities able to generate more income through cattle and poultry farming. This will allow them to afford to buy cereal from the community warehouses
• Hunger will be immediately alleviated in the short term by providing food aid to communities.